Dr. Pamela Maloney Blog

Natural Options for the Flu

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

Did you know that tamiflu, a drug used to treat flu symptoms, is derived from star anise, an anti-viral plant that has been used by Oriental medicine herbalists for centuries? When it comes to staying healthy during the flu season, Oriental medicine has a lot to offer.

Acupuncture for Prevention – Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can prevent colds and flus by building up the immune system with just a few needles inserted into key points along the body’s energy pathways. These points are known for strengthening the circulation of blood and energy and for consolidating the outer defense layers of the skin and muscle (Wei Qi) so that germs and viruses cannot enter through them.

Acupuncture to Get Better Faster – If you’ve already happened to catch that cold, acupuncture and herbal medicine can also help with the chills, sniffles, sore throat or fever in a safe, non-toxic way that doesn’t ‘t bombard your body with harmful antibiotics.

Acupuncture does not interfere with Western medical treatment. On the contrary, it provides a welcome complement to it in most cases, and with its emphasis on treating the whole person, recovery time for illness is often shortened.

Herbal Medicine – There is a one thousand year old Chinese herbal formula that forms a handy complement to these immune-boosting treatments and it is elegantly entitled The Jade Windscreen Formula. It is made up of just three herbs: Radix Astragalus, Atractylodis Macrocephalae, and Radix Ledebouriellae. These three powerful herbs combine together to tonify the immune system and fortify the exterior of the body so that you can fight off wind-borne viruses and bacteria.

Tags: Acupuncture, Flu, Natural Medicine, Newsletter
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Treating Autoimmune Disease with Acupuncture

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

Over 50 million Americans suffer from autoimmune disease; an autoimmune disease occurs when the body’s immune system attacks healthy tissue. Autoimmune disorders include Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, thyroid disease, Addison’s disease, pernicious anemia, celiac disease, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis and Guillain–Barré syndrome. Due to the complexity of treating autoimmune disorders, integrative medicine solutions including acupuncture and Oriental medicine have received much attention as successful therapies in their treatment. Acupuncture is specifically noted for its use in pain relief, regulating the immune system, managing symptoms and improving quality of life.

What Causes Autoimmune Disease?

Under normal conditions, an immune response cannot be triggered against the cells of one’s own body. In certain cases, however, immune cells make a mistake and attack the very cells that they are meant to protect. This can lead to a variety of autoimmune diseases. They encompass a broad category of over 100 diseases in which the person’s immune system attacks his or her own tissue.

The exact mechanisms causing these changes are not completely understood, but bacteria, viruses, toxins, and some drugs may play a role in triggering an autoimmune process in someone who already has a genetic (inherited) predisposition to develop such a disorder. It is theorized that the inflammation initiated by these agents, toxic or infectious, somehow provokes in the body a “sensitization” (autoimmune reaction) in the involved tissues.

As the disease develops vague symptoms start to appear, such as joint and muscle pain, general muscle weakness, possible rashes or low-grade fever, trouble concentrating, or weight loss. The following symptoms may point toward something being wrong: numbness and tingling in hands and feet, dry eyes, hair loss, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, or repeated miscarriages can also be caused by an autoimmune response.

How Acupuncture Treats Autoimmune Disorders

According to Oriental medicine, autoimmune disorders occur when there is imbalance within the body. Imbalance can come from an excess or deficiency of yin and yang that disrupts the flow of qi, or vital energy, through the body. Acupuncture is used to help the body restore balance, treating the root of the disorder, while specifically addressing the symptoms that are unique to each individual.

Clinical research has shown that acupuncture causes physical responses in nerve cells, the pituitary gland, and parts of the brain. These responses can cause the body to release proteins, hormones, and brain chemicals that control a number of body functions. It is proposed that, by these actions, acupuncture affects blood pressure, body temperature and the immune system.

In addition to acupuncture, your treatment program to manage your autoimmune disorder may involve a combination of therapies including stress reducing exercises, moderate physical activity, herbal medicine, nutritional support and bodywork.

To learn more about how acupuncture can safely and effectively be incorporated into care for people with an autoimmune disorder, please call for a consultation today.

Acupuncture Effective for Crohn’s Disease

In a study published in the journal, Digestion, acupuncture was found effective for treating Crohn’s disease.

Crohn’s disease is an autoimmune disease which involves chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The main symptoms of Crohn’s disease are abdominal pain, fever, fatigue and persistent, watery diarrhea. Symptoms range from mild to severe, and can come and go with periods of flare-ups.

In this German study, 51 patients with mild to moderately active Crohn’s disease had a decrease in disease activity after receiving 10 sessions of acupuncture. Study members also showed an improvement in general well-being and reported an improvement in quality of life.

Source: Joos S, Brinkhaus B, Maluche C, Maupai N, Kohnen R, Kraehmer N, Hahn EG, Schuppan D. Acupuncture and moxibustion in the treatment of active Crohn’s disease: a randomized controlled study. Digestion. 2004;69(3):131-9.

Tags: Acupuncture, Natural Medicine, Newsletter
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Forced to take a Flu Shot?

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

If you are forced to take a flu shot, here’s what to do.

Video Part 2/4
Video Part 3/4
Video Part 4/4

Tags: Natural Medicine, Video
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HUMOR about Natural Medicine

Tuesday, March 11th, 2008

This website was sent to me by a friend. I think it is humorous so will share it with you.

Stuff White People Like #59: Natural Medicine
…….enjoy!

Tags: Funny, Natural Medicine
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PAIN

Tuesday, February 26th, 2008

So many patients come to me for pain erasure.  Most wait to seek treatment until the pain is so bad that they are disabled by it.  There are many approaches to take to minimize or eliminate pain depending upon the cause of it.

In Western Medicine pain is defined as: pressure, lack of blood supply, and cell death.  In Eastern Medicine pain is defined as: Qi stagnation (dull aching pain), or blood stagnation(sharp, stabbing pain).  Both definitions speak of the result of some obstacle to the flow of liquids, gases, and electrical energy in the body.  This obstacle or obstruction is what I seek out.  Even if a nerve is pinched, there is the place of obstacle that is pinching it.

I use pressure, friction, heat, blood moving herbs, homeopathic anti-inflammatories and natural topical pain relievers of both herbal and homeopathic origing which are absorbed into the skin combined with acupuncture strategically placed to move the blood and Qi directly thru the area of pain.  90% of the time the pain is relieved significantly.

The only time it may not be significantly relieved  is when a nerve is pinched for an excessively long time and has become inflammed.  This chronic inflammation of the nerve, usually at the root close to the spine, creates a signal to the muscles that the nerve is innervating to maintain contraction.  This then becomes peripheral entrapment of the nerve by the muscles it is innervating.  The muscles then pull on the nerve, causing irritation and continued inflammation at the root.  A cycle of pain must be broken.  The muscles chronically spasmed must be manipulated enough to get them to let go sometimes so the nerve root can heal.  The nerve root must be treated to decrease the inflammation and stop firing the signal to the muscles to contract.  It takes a continuous, frequent treatment to break this cycle.

Pain caused by the physiology, or organs is usually decreased by changing the chemistry of the blood.  Herbal treatment along with acupuncture and some vibration of the organs will move the tissues to create a change in the physiology.

And then there is the final work of changing our minds about the pain.  A patient may have become so used to chronic pain that bearing it has become the new “normal” and the cause of it is removed there is still the sensation of it for the patient.  In some ways it is habit.  This can be worked with in many ways.  Sometimes just repetition of the experience of pain relief will create a new “normal” gradually.  Sometimes some coaching of noticing details of change can reset the mind to the unfamiliar state of pain free.

Freeing ourselves of pain is important, as it drains our energy, demands our attention, and causes a downward turn in our thoughts.  Paying attention to it and treating it appropriately is always the best choice.  In some ways, pain lights the way to discover things about ourselves and the way we are living that will cause an evolution of our lives in order to resolve the pain.  A growth of person and character can often be the result of discovering the cause of pain while removing it.

Whatever the result, it is a worthy endeavor to pursue being pain free.  You will get the best and fastest results if you seek treatment early upon discovery of pain, rather than waiting to see if it will go away.  Of course a few days of watching to see if it decreases and will eliminate on it’s own is OK.  But, noticing an increase of pain each day is a strong signal to seek treatment immediately.  The sooner treatment begins, the faster the practitioner will be able to succeed at relieving it entirely.

Tags: Natural Medicine, Pain
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Weathering the weather: Homeopathic Medicine and Global Warming

Wednesday, October 17th, 2007

As the effects of Global Warming become apparent my patients are already suffering from what seems the extreme weather changes we have here in California. Each day is changing from summer to winter as we move into fall. One day will be 60′s and the next 90′s in temperature. See http://www.climateprotect.org/ for supporting a solution to Global Warming.

But the effects of this radical weather shifting in patient needs can be supported by an over the counter Homeopathic remedy. Oscillococcynum is a fabulous cold/flu remedy that always works when used immediately at the first onset of symptoms. By this I mean, achy muscles, headache, low energy, stuffy feeling in the head, brainfog, etc. If you catch it early enough you will stop the progression of the symptoms and not have to go thru the entire sickness. You can find access to Oscillococcynum at Amazon.com

Tags: Homeopathy, Natural Medicine
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Summer Colds, Flu, Allergies Lingering

Thursday, September 13th, 2007

This summer heatwave brought on a flurry of the above. The outbreaks were violent, ranging from extreme laryngitis, paroxysms of coughing, sinusitis, ear infections, Meniere’s symptoms, projectile vomiting and persistant diarrhea accompanied by intermittent fever. Very uncomfortable. My usual arsenal of Chinese herbs, Occilococinum, Air Borne, Ecchinacea, Coloidal Silver, golden Seal, Olive oil extract, Sambucol etc. found a new companion that I wanted to share with you.

From Switzerland, GeloMyrtol, an herbal proprietary blend was a new discovery for me. It kept me free of the intensity of all these symptoms while treating the patients who came to me.

I find it a great new companion, and take it with the others depending on which symptoms are dominant and where I am in the process of the sickness.

Ever grateful for the pulse/tongue diagnosis of Chinese Medicine and the odd modalities of Homeopathic Medicine which allows me to have a great heads up to what is coming down the road for my patients. I am most often able to turn the path of oncoming misery back to health using this group of products.

Both Chinese Medicine and Homeopathy use different herbs/ingredients for the unique distinctions of all the various stages of viral/bacterial upper respiratory tract infections. I am grateful for this, as I am able to treat with a high degree of specificity. I like that.

GeloMyrtol supports any stage of all of these symptoms to arrest the process in its tracks. I highly recommend it for your medicine chest.

Tags: Homeopathy, Natural Medicine
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I Am Thankful!!!!!!

Wednesday, November 22nd, 2006

As I emailed personal thanks to my friends, relatives, colleagues and patients who have given me so much support for my development both professionally and personally I found myself moved to write about how grateful I am for that development.

My personal journey to be a Medicine Woman is so exciting and magical, definitely challenging, and always exactly right.  I am lucky enough to be fulfilling my destiny.  I have been uncompromising in my direction and studies.  I have been supported in this by the most wonderful teachers, the most unlikely lookers on, and the best of friends.  I am very aware of the gift this is.  I am very aware that I am fulfilling a predetermined destiny.  I am very aware that the vein of medicine I have chosen to utilize, study, and practice is unique to me.

And that keen awareness makes me conscious of the responsibility I have to contribute this knowledge to you.  To give it back to you as I have sifted it thru myself literally.  I have tested and utilized all of the health practices I am now ready to share.  And I live the proof of their effectiveness every day.  I wear it on my face.  I am delighted to share it with you.

At the moment I am grateful to my web designers who have given me this great tool to reach you.  I am grateful to sit now at my keyboard and have such an easy way to give to you all that has been developing inside of me all these years.  I am gratefu to myself for meeting the challenge of developing the skill, and learning what was necessary to utilize this great communication tool.

My father used to say “Here comes the Healthy One!” every time he saw me.  I have titled my second book that in honor of how he saw my destiny at a very early age.  Apparently I have worn it all my life, visible to those who could see it.  So, in the two books I am writing at the moment are the beginnings of giving you a lifetime of knowledge of living and being the Healthy One.

May you choose to be the Healthy One as well!

Tags: Living Well, Natural Medicine
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Proud of Chinese Medicine

Sunday, November 19th, 2006

I recently attended 2 days of Contiuing Education on Chinese Herbology.  It was exciting to spend 2 full days doing what I love the most–studying the Alternative Medicines I practice.  My brain feels fed, and I am reinspired.  It is professionally satisfying to hear the language of Chinese Medicine for two entire days.  There is an extremely yummy quality to the experience.

Anyway, the great new thing I learned was that the origins to many of the Western drug medications is the synthesized chemical copying of an herb.  The fascinating thing is that the negative side effects of the drugs were always the exact overkill of the original intention of the herb.  For instance if the herb stops diarrhea, the negative drug side effect was constipation.  This was a consistant reaction.  The upshot of it all was that herbs are a much better choice to treat initial stage diseases, chronic pain, and preventive situations.

Western Medicine and its therapies, including all the drug therapies is definitely the appropriate choice for acute conditions, life and death situations, and advanced diseases.  No other medicine works as fast or as strongly in those situations.  We all need it then.

Alternative Medicines are the best choice for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, treating chronic pain and minor injuries, and preventing disease.  One of the great things about Chinese Pulse Diagnosis is that it can diagnose conditions before the symptoms show up, and conversely can tell that a condition is over and has run it`s course before the symptom goes away.  Like having a bit of a crystal ball, the patient and doctor are able to fend off conditions before they grow into something serious.

The inspiration and original reason I studied so hard to be an Alternative Medicine Woman is to remain healthy, to offer my patients a pathway to remain healthy, and to minimize the more advanced conditions we may have to face, the toxic substances our bodies would have to handle if we go for drug therapy or surgery, to maintain a radiant vitality, ageless beauty, and the best life possib le for our entire lives.

Can you tell I am re-inspired?  I love the medicine and the constant growing of the knowledge of it.  The master practitioners who stay the course in their chosen interests are deeply inspiring and ever so exciting to learn from.  I feel very grateful for my chosen direction….

Tags: Natural Medicine
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How do I know which natural medicine to use? Homeopathy/Acupuncture/ Naturopathy

Sunday, September 10th, 2006

Deciding which modality of natural treatment to use for what ailments is an art form which you will evolve over time and use of all the forms. Best way to begin is, of course, to have professional support while you develop your knowledge and skill at discerning the distinctions of each.

The medicines distinguish themselves by the ways they treat. Homeopathic medicine is distinct in that it is a potentized energetic medicine that works very effectively in subtle, no side effects fashion. Acupuncture works energetically in the acupuncture treatment, and combines herbal support that is extremely and distinctively nutritive. Naturopathy often includes both Homeopathy and Acupuncture as well as Western natural medicines, supplements and herbs.

For instance when we are just getting a “common cold” there are many different beginning scenarios. First stage can be slight fever with achy muscles, or slight fever with scratchy sore throat, or slight fever with headache. From a long experience, I have found that fever with achy muscles is the perfect beginning to indicate the use of the homeopathic Osccilococcynum. For the fever with a scratchy throat the best first stage treatment is a chinese herb formula, Yin Qiao. For the first stage slight fever with headache and chinese formula Ma Huang is the best.

All of these conditions will not respond to these first stage treatments if they have progressed too long, you must catch them at the very first sign of the symptoms. Sometimes when I have waited until just 4 hrs after noticing the first symptom (perhaps I am out and away from my pharmacy) it is too late for these first stage treatments to work. Then they would graduate to stronger treatments, different chinese formula`s and homeopathics.

Sometimes the healthfood store solutions work just fine. I like Airborne as an all over, easy to use and access, beginning for fending off a cold. It often works. Some people prefer EmergenC, or Echinacea and Goldenseal separate or together. These would all be Naturopathic treatment choices.

It is up to you to try all of these choices, experience which ones work the best, fastest, and easiest on you because we are all different and respond differently at different times in our lives. You will, after some experience develop an ability to know what herbs and homeopathics to have at home in your pharmacy, which ones to take with you when you travel, which ones to leave in your car, purse, etc. so they are accessible quickly.

All of us have the ability to grow this talent, and to treat ourselves for most of the simple sicknesses we develop. We do need professional help to begin our education of the available options, and to diagnose correctly and refer us to the appropriate other professionals who we will need to help us. It is a wonderful educational process, takes time, builds new relationships, and grows yourself as you go. You can create an ever evolving, informed ability to choose which professional to go to for guidance as well as which medicine to use for the easiest of self treatments. It can be a fun and easy exploration that will be greatly rewarding.

Tags: Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Natural Medicine
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